“The American Academy of Family Physicians greatly appreciates the leadership of Rep. Allyson Schwartz in finding a way to address the unsustainable and inequitable formula that determines how physicians are paid by Medicare.

“The AAFP congratulates Rep. Schwartz for her legislative proposal that would create a ten-year path to stability in payments and would help the complex health care delivery system better recognize the value of primary care. Only by stabilizing the Medicare physician payment system can we ensure that elderly and disabled patients will have access to the care they need, when they need it.

“Rep. Schwartz's proposal is a strong step forward to health care that will be better coordinated and more patient-centered. We urge Congress to pass this legislation that would prevent the looming 27-percent reduction in physician payments by Medicare.”

Founded in 1947, the American Academy of Family Physicians represents 131,400 physicians and medical students nationwide, and it is the only medical society devoted solely to primary care.

Family physicians conduct approximately one in five of the total medical office visits in the United States per year – more than any other specialty. Family physicians provide comprehensive, evidence-based, and cost-effective care dedicated to improving the health of patients, families and communities. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing and personal patient-physician relationship where the family physician serves as the hub of each patient’s integrated care team. More Americans depend on family physicians than on any other medical specialty.